[Basic investigation of saliva SIgA]

Saliva, which contributes to maintaining health in the oral environment, is affected by the physiological functions of the organism and their condition. Dental caries and periodontosis, both of which are oral diseases with frequent occurrence, require the presence of bacteria to occur. SIgA (secretory IgA), an immune globulin that is found in large quantities in substances secreted during salivation, has an antibacterial action. Thus, in conducting a basic investigation on the relationship between these factors, the author investigated what effect the speed of saliva secretion, a physiological factor of the saliva component, has on the SIgA value. Results showed that, regarding the relationship between the salivary SIgA value and the speed of salivary secretion, a negative correlation exists although this is weak in terms of relevance. The fact that the correlation displayed a tendency toward scattering indicates a need to pay attention when measuring the elements in the saliva to those factors that evidently have an effect on the composition of the saliva.